Here's a flashback from 2010 for ya!

New Mix - Sounds of Africa

Over the years I’ve managed to get a small collection of African music together. It’s not something I really ever focused on, and almost never play these songs when I DJ, but there’s some great music here I’m excited to finally share. First of all, apologies - “African music” is an almost completely useless way to categorize this music, just as useless as saying “American” music; it communicates almost nothing about the music. So many people, cultures, languages and unique musical styles come out of Africa. Unfortunately my knowledge of this music is fairly limited. I love to explore new music and I buy what I like. So I’m not the guy that can drop real knowledge on you today - but let me share what I do know.
The first track is from Nigeria’s “Chief Commander” Ebanezer Obey, known for his pounding Jùjú style music. The name comes from a Yoruba word "juju" or "jiju" meaning "throwing" or "something being thrown." All I can say is the man can throw down a hell of a groove. This is only a small snippet of a longer piece (“Lekeleke Gba Mi Leke”); a continuous bit of music that strings together a number of smaller themes on side two of the of his self-titled LP from Decca in ‘78. Honestly usually I’m not a guy for long jams but this I think is excellent. Love the guitar, so I had to let the song play long enough to experience a guitar-heavy section.
The next track in the mix is Afronational Band, titled “Gbaunkalay”. The band hails from Freetown, Sierra Leone, the flip is in Creole but this is sung in Mende. This band is pretty well-known and I’ve come across their tunes a few times here in NYC.
Next track is “Lily” from the man himself Manu Dibango. Hailing from Cameroon, his tune “Soul Makossa” was a massive hit, judging by the number of cover versions I come across it was THE go to party jam for a period. Also, he sued because Michael Jackson borrowed a line for “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” - it was settled out of court. “Lily” is another upbeat jam of the same LP.
Track four is the Afro-funk classic “Wanna Do My Thing” from Matata. From the President label’s website, “the band has its roots in the Congo although it formed in Nairobi in the mid-sixties, not long after Kenya gained Independence.” These guys were supposed to be the next big thing in African music but split after only a couple of albums, some going to work on other projects like Chosen Few or Sawar.
Next up is an American band, Zafari, with “Addis Ababa”. This dizzy and hypnotic groove is defintely a shout to Ethiopian giant Mulatu Astatke. His Ethiopian Jazz style has influenced countless acts worldwide. This tune was released on Brooklyn’s own Soul Fire label, started by Phillip Lehman in ‘99. I’d love to know about this band, so my local heads please shoot me a line if you have any to share - if I had to guess, this was a short-lived studio project with some of the musicians Phil knew from Desco Records.
Next up is William Onyeabor’s “Hypertension”. Onyeabor’s music has gotten a ton of recognition the last few years from labels like Luaka Bop, re-releasing William’s infections grooves which rocked Nigeria back in the 70s and 80s. In ‘85 he got the religion and turned his back on music for decades, disappearing from the scene. Around 2014 he finally tip-toed back into the spotlight, doing an interview on BBC. Unfortunately, William Onyeabor passed a few years later, in 2017.
Next up, “Celia”, the title track from Théo Blaise Kounkou’s LP released in 1980. I don't know much about this one. Sung in French, believe this is soukous style music and Théo hails from DR Congo.
Track eight is “Ebiamo” from (Bobby) Pieterson & His Combo. The single on Decca is labeled as Highlife style, and believe hails from Ghana. To my ears, stylistically this really reminds me of Calypso.
And last but not least, the final track is from Hirut Bekele and called “Atetfa Kefite”. This was released on the Kaifa Records, an Ethiopian label. I actually picked up this record at a shop in Bangkok a few years ago. Bekele was well-known in Ethiopia, and believe this is sung in Amharic oromiffa language. My record is not in the greatest shape, but hope you’ll still enjoy her tremendous voice.
Thanks and hope ya dig it folks.

New mix up on Mixcloud, some of my favorite tunes featuring organs.  Hammonds for days!

Spotify Users: Plenty of folks mentioned they wish they could hear the records I post pictures of on my Instagram account (http://instagram.com/mikecrash) - so I put together this Spotify playlist to cover the very same songs. Not all of my records are available on Spotify, and I left off the harder rock styles, but I think you'll find it's a very good representation of the music I enjoy. If this goes over well, I'll try to keep it current.

Free Up The Bass!

New reggae mix up on Soundcloud, get into it!

 

Available Friday, September 13: Hear Me Oh Demons!

Tired of the onslaught of shit music coming from the speakers in the car next to you?  "Awards" shows which praise some of the very worst music ever produced? "Music Television" programs that don't even play music anymore?! I have something that will help.  After a very long break, my new mix is here!  This is the first cassette tape mix I've done since '98 or so, and I'm pretty excited about it.  "Hear Me Oh Demons!" is over 50 minutes of my favorite Soul 45s, with a couple of Reggae and Boogaloo tunes thrown in for good measure.  Each tape has been hand painted and comes in the snazzy packaging shown here.  Inside, I've included a custom demonic incantation which is 90% guaranteed to call the Dark Lords into action against the false music idols who currently rule the airwaves.  Speaking the incantation while the mix is being played can cause such things as

• Lady Gaga to grow a mustache!
• Miley Cyrus to throw her back out twerking!
• One Direction to have bad hair days for 666 continuous days!
• and much, much, more! (also, these chicks should be harassed)

Right now this mix is exclusively available on cassette tape.  I intend to have copies available at some local record shops - expect an update on locations soon (update: a few copies now at Greenpoint's own Co-Op 87!)  But anyone can get a copy from me by mail.  $6 for locals (store purchase or delivered in person), $8 to anywhere in the US by mail, and $12 to my overseas friends; all payable via Paypal. Email me at djmikecrash at gmail for more info. I have a strict no tracklist policy, so you'll have to trust me - you'll dig it the most!  Included incantation will help you decode the tracklist should you desire.  Happy Friday the 13th!

Spring 2012 Mix

New mix for Spring, get it!

Irma Thomas Rocks My World - Twice!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the Soul Queen of New Orleans. And here are two of her biggest cuts!

The first, released in 1960 on Ron, came out when Irma was the tender age of 19. But by that time she'd been married twice and had four children! So she could tell you a thing or two about men.  This one hit #22 on the charts and was her first hit. Great sense of humor, swinging beat, screaming horns - "Don't Mess With My Man" has all the makings of a Nola classic.

"Wish Someone Would Care" came out in 1964, and was Irma's biggest hit.  It's about a perfect soul tune if you ask me. 

Irma Thomas never got the mainstream success she deserved, but she is still known and adored by music lovers everywhere.

Professor Longhair - "Big Chief" - Watch Records, 1964

Today it's a real treat - one of my favorite records from New Orleans legend Professor Longhair!

Henry Roeland Byrd AKA Professor Longhair AKA Fess was born in 1918 in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Although he didn't really begin to play music seriously until his 30's, and never had a large repertoire, Fess became a huge figure in New Orleans music. He had a unique style which instantly set him apart from his peers, but he lacked the crossover appeal to become a national star.

Black or white, local or out-of-town, they all had Longhair's music in common. Just that mambo-rhumba boogie thing. —Allen Toussaint

Check out "Tipitina", "Let's Go To The Mardi Gras" and "Bald Head" for more of a feel for this cat's sound.
I don't have much info on Watch Records, but I believe it was run by Earl King and Wardell Quezergue. They recorded a ton of great NOLA artists from that era like Eddie Bo, Tommy Ridgley, Benny Spellman and others. Now listen to this and start strutting!

The Cynics - "Sweet Young Thing" - Dionysis, 1985

Today it's a mid-80's garage rocker from Pittsburgh! So who are The Cynics?

They formed in '83, with Gregg Kostelich on guitar and Michael Kastelic on vocals the constant driving force over many years and lineup changes.The influence of 60's garage punkers and RnB is definitely apparent in this record, their first outing.

“I was maybe 4 or 5 when I started collecting Garage records, and I’ve been listening to that type of music ever since." - Gregg Kostelich

Cynics '92 lineup

These guys are still going strong after 25 years, now on Gregg's "Get Hip" label.

Dionysus Records was based out of California and hosted the Cynics first two outings. Interesting, not only was this The Cynics' first release, I believe this was the label's first 45 release. From the label website:
"Dionysus Records was started by me, quite haphazardly and from scratch at the tail end of 1983 because I wanted to release a 45 by my then band Yard Trauma. The label was actually an extension of a cassette-only label run I ran out of the Roads to Moscow record store on Park Ave in my hometown of Tucson, AZ between ‘81 and ‘83. In 1984, I moved to Los Angeles and became pals with Greg and Suzy Shaw at Bomp who helped me to establish the label here in Southern California and distribute the first two albums (by Yard Trauma and Thee Fourgiven) and a couple of singles (by The Cynics.)"
And of course, the clip!

Halloween 2011 Mix!

For a limited time only. Something totally different - a bit of a flashback for me to the stuff I listened to in high school. Let's go goth this Halloween!

Oh My Goth It's Mike Crash! by djmikecrash

Rufus Thomas - "Walking The Dog" - Stax, 1963

This one's a classic tune on a class label, one that always gets the crowd amped. Let Rufus show you how it's done!

A Memphis native, Rufus was performing early and performed until his death, releasing R&B, Blues, Funk and Soul tunes. He was also a comedian and DJ. Now that's what I call an entertainer!
Today's song was the first big hit for Rufus, hitting #5 R&B and #10 Pop. A song's influence can be gauged by the bands that cover it.  This monster was covered by The Rolling Stones, The Sonics, Aerosmith, Roger Daltrey, Green Day, The Trashmen, and many more.
We've talked about Stax before; great label with tons of hits. It's pretty hard to go wrong with the early catalog if you ask me.

Billy Gayles - "I'm Tore Up" - Federal, 1956

Songs about getting drunk - now that's what I'm talking about! Make it a nice RnB shouter, and you've got a tremendous tune like this one.

I don't have too much info on Mr. Gayles.  You see on the left, he was born on October 19. 1931 and passed away on April 8, 1993.
A St. Louis native, he was a singer and also played drums. "Tore Up" was his first outting on Federal, but he also released "Let's Call It A Day", "No Coming Back", and "Just One More Time". The last one was in '57. There were a couple of tunes on smaller labels, but I don't see anything after '61. I think today's tune is pretty wild for '56.
You'll note the (in)famous Ike Turner is in on this too, providing the flames for the drunken scorcher.  That dude had a hand in just too much good music!
Have a listen!

September 2011 Mix is GO!

September's mix is up, sorry it's a few days late. Now get Rocking!

Crash's Night Out by djmikecrash

The Marathons - "Talkin Trash" - Arvee, 1961

Novelty tunes - what happened to 'em? Today's 45 is a weird number from The Marathons, actually both sides are novelty tunes.  The flip is "Peanut Butter", a song singing the praises of our favorite nut paste, and was the more popular of the two.  I like this side for the naughty edge it has.  It's simply one character trying to seduce a young girl, who does nothing but giggle in response.  By the end of the record, her dismissive laughs anger the suitor, who finally gives up. It's actually pretty annoying, but I suppose that's the point: by the end you are just as annoyed as the suitor.
The Marathons were really a psydonymn for The Vibrations, who were under contract with Checker.  When it was discovered they were recording for another label, a lawsuit resulted, and Checker released their own version of "Peanut Butter".  These same folks charted with "Stranded In The Jungle" earlier under the name The Jayhawks (we covered The Cadets version of that song here).

As far as the Arvee label, here's a blurb from "West Coast Sock Hop", an Arvee compilation I came across:
"Richard Vaughn founded his Arvee Records (his initials formed the label's name) imprint in Los Angeles in 1959, and thanks in part to loose-limbed productions by H.B. Barnum and Marty Cooper, had hits right out of the box with frat party R&B acts like the Olympics and the Marathons, and although party R&B tracks (often with deliberate novelty appeal) remained the label's bread and butter, Arvee also dabbled in rock & roll, doo wop, and instrumental surf music."
I first encountered this tune on the wonderful "Talkin' Trash" compilation, but it was misattributed to The Olympics. Have a listen!
 

The Frantics - "Werewolf" - Dolton, 1959

This is a classic tune, basically a standard amongst a certain set of bands.  It influenced The Cramps' "Don't Eat Stuff Off The Sidewalk".  It was covered by Los Straitjackets.  The Ventures played it note-for-note and retitled it "The Fourth Dimension". I got in on the action too. So who were the original men behind the music?

The Frantics were based out of Seattle, Washington and were active between '55 and '65. Ron Petersen and Chuck Schoning started as a duo in jr. high, and the band grew from there. By the late 50's they were recording what would become their classic material with Dolton. The two most well-known cuts are probably "Werewolf" and "Fog Cutter", but "Straight Flush" also charted. In the 60's, the band line-up was shifting and thier sound drifted towards the RnB side of things. By '65, they disbanded. There's a great collection of info at this site for those who want to dig into it further.
Dolton was a Seattle-based label started by Bob Reisdorf and Bonnie Guitar, and was active until '67. First called "Dolphin", they changed the name after a few releases to avoid confusion with a Laurie "Dolphin" subsidiary (but they kept the fish in the logo). Aside from The Frantics, other acts included The Ventures, The Fleetwoods, and Vic Dana. Avnet scooped up the label in '63 and in '65 it was merged with Liberty. It was finally closed in '67.
Most of the other songs in The Frantics catalog seem to be of the tamer teen variety, but this one is tough and eerie. Have a listen:
 

Elliot Shavers & His Bossmen - "Toe Jam" - Checker, 1964

Today I've got another R&B stormer from one of my favorite labels, Checker. Not much info out there on this cat, but I've come across some other great tunes by Elliot Shavers "and his Blazers".   Blazing indeed, both sides of this 45 will burn up a dancefloor.  The flip, "Rice And Gator Tails", is no slouch; but this is the side that really does it for me.  Have a listen:

The Pyramids - "Hot Dog Dooly Wah" - Shell, 1958

How about some kinda silly and upbeat doo-wop? Well, that's what you're getting.
I could find no info on The Pyramids.  Anyway, this is a finger-poppin' tune about a girl that's a great cook.  Obviously such praise can only elicit a response of "HOT DOG DOOLY WAHHH!"

Better view of the logo on the flip, bet that was an issue with Shell Oil

Not a whole lot of info on Shell Records out there.  I gather from this discography that today's 45 was the first release for Shell Records.  Looks like they were active till the mid-60s at least.  The label indicates some involvement with Saxon Music, both Shell and Saxon were under Allied Entertainment of New York.  A short note in the November 10, 1962 Billboard Magazine, announcing that Allied was going public, also notes that Allied was formed by Dr. Herbert Breger in '61.  That's all I got.

LaVern Baker - Tweedlee Dee - Atlantic, 1954

Baker

Lavern Baker had music in her blood, being related to both Memphis Minnie and Merline Johnson. A Chicago native, she was born there in 1929. By the mid-40s she was performing around town as "Little Miss Sharecropper".  After signing to Atlantic in '53, this was her second release and first big hit - it went to #4 on the R&B chart and #14 on the national US pop charts. "Tweedlee Dee" was an even bigger hit for Georgia Gibbs (a bit of a sore subject for LaVern, she sued unsuccessfully).

And in this corner - Gibbs

LaVern's other big hit was "Jim Dandy", a tune probably familiar to most of you.
From Wikipedia:
"She received the 1990 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, Baker became the second female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following Aretha Franklin in 1987. Her song "Jim Dandy" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked #343 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
LaVern Baker passed away in 1997, and was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Queens, NY.

Irene On My Mind

Yesterday I had a bad case of hurricane on the brain as Hurricane Irene made her way up the coast to NYC. Luckily, we didn't get hit too bad. But it did bang out this song while I waited for the skies to clear and head back to my local pub. Less than two minutes of surfy silliness.

Irene On My Mind by djmikecrash